Declan Rice’s rise as a leader at Arsenal has been rapid.
A few eyebrows were raised when the England international was handed the captain’s armband ahead of Gabriel Magalhaes in the games against Bournemouth and Sporting CP.
After all, Rice was not even part of the official leadership group a couple of years ago. He was only promoted into that circle last term.
However, the former West Ham man’s influence within the Arsenal squad had clearly been growing long before that decision was made.
In fact, his teammates already viewed him as a leader well before he was officially recognised as one, says Gabriel Martinelli.
What did you think of Declan Rice being made Arsenal captain instead of Gabriel Magalhaes vs Bournemouth?
Gabriel Martinelli says Arsenal players viewed Declan Rice as a captain even before he was added to the leadership group
Declan Rice’s impact at Arsenal has gone far beyond his performances on the pitch.
After arriving from West Ham for a club-record fee, the midfielder has quickly established himself as one of the most important figures in the dressing room.
Rice’s personality, work ethic and consistency have made him a natural leader within the squad, and it is clear to see that Mikel Arteta absolutely loves him.
Even when he did not have the armband, Rice’s teammates looked up to him and relied on him in key moments. That is something Martinelli has now confirmed publicly.
The Brazilian revealed that Rice was already being seen as a captain internally, regardless of his official status in the leadership group.
Martinelli told Sky Sports: “He was captain at West Ham as well. Everyone loves him, he’s a good character in the dressing room, and on the pitch, what he does for us is crazy.
“Even when he wasn’t one of the captains, everyone was considering him one of them.
“Everyone can see from the outside the way he plays and the way that he’s just with us and supporting every single player on the pitch, the way he tracks back and the way he tries to regain the ball…
“For me, he’s a complete player.”
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Arsenal need Rice’s leadership more than ever now
The timing of Rice’s rise as a leader could not be more important, as Arsenal are locked in a tense title race with Manchester City.
Both teams are level on points and goal difference, which highlights just how fine the margins are at this stage of the season.
With five games left to play, every moment matters, and Arsenal cannot afford any slip-ups if they want to win the Premier League title.
That is where leadership becomes crucial, and players like Rice have to step up and drive the team forward.
The Englishman, along with Martin Odegaard, will need to galvanise his teammates, keep belief high and ensure standards do not drop in the final stretch.
If Rice can do that, Arsenal will give themselves the best possible chance of going all the way.
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